


Embracing This Pain

by Starshaker



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Chronic Pain, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hux-centric, M/M, Millicent - Freeform, No Sex, No Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-31
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-07-10 22:10:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7010224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starshaker/pseuds/Starshaker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hux suffers from chronic pain and after long hours on the bridge he's resigned himself to a short disturbed rest before his next required work shift. Kylo follows him back to his quarters, intent on helping.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Embracing This Pain

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Baby…did you forget to take your meds?](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/201259) by jeusus.tumblr. 



Hux grit his teeth and subtle leant his weight against the console behind him. He’d been on his feet now for eighteen hours, his hip and upper thigh felt as though it were burning up in pain and he’d already taken all of his allocated pain medication for the day. Pride kept him from allowing his pain to be revealed, as it had done for half his life now.

He turned to address one of the officers and from the corner of his eye in the shadows he saw Kylo looming; A dark statue that faced him like death personified. Ren tipped his masked head to one side as Hux watched him and slowly lifted a hand. The pain at Hux’s side felt significant muted almost immediately and though the relief was palpable Hux glared back. 

“ _I don’t need your help_ ,” He thought. He knew Kylo had heard it when his hand dropped and the pain instantly flared back up. Hux caught himself on the console in front of him and the analytics officer glanced up at him warily.

“Have any necessary updates and development forwarded to my datapad,” Hux said sharply, “I’ll be working on reports in my quarters for the next few hours,”

“Yes sir,” The officer replied. Hux nodded once and turned on his heel. To a trained eye the only difference in his movements were slightly shorter strides and a weariness in his eyes and voice.

 

The second Hux was out of sight of the rest of the crew he braced himself against the wall. In the space of several shaky breaths Hux attempted to pull his attention away from the throbbing pain in his side.

At the sound of footsteps approaching Hux immediately straightened and strode off down the corridors towards his room without looking back.

His room’s temperature control was set a few degrees below the standard setting for the rest of the ship and Hux shivered as the doors slid shut behind him. He dropped his coat from his shoulders as he shuffled towards the bed. He set his datapad at the side of the bed, and the alarms to a loud enough tone to wake him, and then tentatively he crawled onto the bed and curled up, facing the wall. He toed off his boots and heard them fall to the floor with an echoing thump that reverberated in his mind like a cymbal.

 

There was no position Hux could sit stand or lie that would relieve this incessant pain. No medication or treatment that could relieve the pseudo injury that plagued him daily. He dug his fingernails into his palms and tried to focus on that pain instead. 

Behind him he heard the doors of his room slid open.

“Go away Kylo,” Hux muttered into the pillow, his tone a mixture of exhaustion and irritation. He couldn’t concentrate enough to work out where Kylo was in the room until he felt fingers trailing up through his hair. He leant away from the touch and winced as the movement put further pressure on his hip.

“Hux, roll over,” Kylo said and Hux felt the edge of the bed dip under his weight. His voice was human and he must have discarded his helmet as he’d entered, “You’ll be in pain all day tomorrow if you lie like that,”

“I’ll be in pain anyway. Go away,”

“Let me help,” Kylo insisted as his fingers moved to brush down Hux’s side and towards his waist.

“Can you do it without touching me? Preferably without being in the room,” Hux said. He knew he should probably eat otherwise his next ration of painkillers would surely come straight back up again and yet he was too nauseous from the pain to consider it.

“I could,” Kylo said but he made no move to leave. His hand stilled just above where the pain began. “Would you rather I get you something?”

“Can’t take any more meds,”

“Do you want some water, food…” Kylo asked, “Millie?”

“Her name is Millicent,” Hux grumbled and just as he spoke a new small weight joined them on the bed. Hux winced as the cat stepped up onto his thigh on her way to curl up against his chest. “Hello love,” He murmured into her fur as he wrapped her up in his arms. “Have you had dinner yet?” He cooed and Millicent replied with a small _mauw_.

“I’ll sort that then,” Kylo said and Hux felt him stand from the bed, his touch left and Hux felt no discernable relief either way. He stroked his fingers gently through Millicent’s thick fur and allowed her steady purrs to lull him into a dozing state. 

 

He was silently grateful as he listened to Kylo puttering about and readying the cat’s food. He wondered if anyone in the galaxy would believe this scenario could be playing out between the both of them. 

“Mill-ie,” Kylo cooed and Millicent’s ears perked up, “Dinner’s ready,” Hux loosened his arms and Millicent hopped over him. After a moment of her soft footfalls he heard her bowl scrape the floor as she began to eat. 

“Thank you,” Hux said quietly, “You can go now,”

“You should still roll over. You know it helps,” Kylo said and with a sigh Hux pushed himself over to lie on his back. As he turned he saw that Kylo had moved back to stand beside the bed.

“What do you want now?” Hux asked sharply and Kylo watched him for a moment. 

“I want to stay,” 

“Right there? Like a gargoyle at the side of my bed. You’ll give me nightmares; I barely sleep well enough as it is,”

“I could help you sleep,” Kylo suggested.

“Why do I bother?” Hux muttered. He averted his eyes to the wall and took a deep breath, “ I can barely think straight and you’re going to persist until you get what you want,”

“It’s for your own good,” Kylo rolled his shoulders and removed his outer layers and then sat on the edge of the bed to remove his shoes.

“Sometimes I think you snapping my neck would be for my own good,” Hux said as he shuffled to the side to allow Kylo more space. 

“I wouldn’t do that, not now anyway,” Kylo said as he lay on his side facing Hux, He stretched his arm out over Hux’s waist and rested it just above where the deep ache settled. “If you’d asked me two years ago I would have done it without a second thought,”

“Guess I’ve missed my opportunity,” Hux said and he turned his head on the pillow to face Kylo and Kylo shuffled closer. He shut his eyes as he pressed his forehead to Kylo’s, his skin was warm and his presence welcome despite Hux’s objections. A cloud of light pressure enveloped his brain and the pain evaporated to a dull hum at the edge of his senses.

“There’ll be others,” Kylo said.

“I have to be up in four hours for the next shift change,” Hux said as he allowed his eyes to slip shut.

“I’ll handle it,” Kylo said decidedly.

“This is _my_ ship,” Hus said and Hux could imagine the smile spreading on Kylo’s face.

“If anything important comes in I’ll come to you directly,” Kylo told him, “Besides we’re both in charge here,”

“I know every inch of _my_ ship,”

“I know all your crew better,” Kylo said and Hux could hear the smirk in his voice

“Only because of your infernal mind tricks,” Hux said tiredly.

“Some of them are quite useful,”Kylo said and a pulse crossed Hux’s senses like a wave. He shivered and Kylo’s arm tightened around him momentarily and then relaxed once again.

“Wouldn’t mind the mind reading. I- I forgot what Mitaka had told me twice,” Hux admitted, “I couldn’t risk asking him a third time,”

“You should have asked me,”

“No,” Hux said quickly and felt Kylo’s hand tighten on his side and he winced. The pressure felt crushing against his hip. “Why do you do this?” He asked.

“Your pain feels different than mine. I can help you with yours, I don’t know what to do with mine,” Kylo said and thumb began moving in small circles over Hux’s skin, “Mine feels like it’s tearing me apart. Yours feels like it’s imploding, pulling everything together to sharply,”

“You think we’re opposites,” Hux said. He was slightly surprised at Kylo’s words. He’d always assumed Kylo has thought them similar.

“I wouldn’t be the first to make the comparison,” Kylo said quietly as he hand trailed back up Hux’s side and cupped the back of his neck. 

“And yet we can’t both rule the galaxy,” Hux muttered.

“We _could._ ” Kylo said and Hux chuckled as he turned his head away. His neck had begun to ache at the angle he was holding it, “Hux, what do you think will happen?” Kylo asked as he shuffled closer to Hux and rested his head and mop of dark locks against Hux’s shoulder

“I think we’ll end up killing each other,” Hux said as he raised a hand to run his hand down over Kylo’s hair. Kylo didn’t reply. Hux lay staring up at the ceiling and counted his breaths. 

“As long as you do it quickly,” Kylo said finally.

“I promise,” Hux agreed. If it ever came to it, it was a promise he could keep.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this fic. It was inspired by http://jeusus.tumblr.com/ 's artwork. I've linked to it at the top and you should definitely go and check it out. Kudos and comments are always appreciated. And feel free to come and chat to me on tumblr. My user is starshaker.tumblr.com x


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